The Electricity Supply Cooperation of Malawi (ESCOM) on Thursday handed over bulbs to Chikuse flood victims camp.
The bulbs included those that are solar powered, the electric ones as well as the mosquito killers all valued at K6 million.
Chief Executive Officer for ESCOM, Dr Allexon Chiwaya said his organization made the gesture in response to the appeal made by government for humanitarian support to the people affected by the devastating floods in the country.
Dr. Chiwaya was upbeat that the gadgets will help at the evacuation camp especially to school going children to study at night.
The CEO was quick to ask the internally displaced persons to report to electricity providers problems emanating from the electricity.
In his remarks, Dr. Paramount Chief Lundu hailed the power provider ESCOM for the provision of electricity which he said will boost security at night for the people in the camp.
Dr Paramount Lundu then appealed to the internally displaced persons at the evacuation camp to take extra care with the solar lamps.
“Please take extra care of your children who may want to play around the planted ESCOM poles,” the Paramount warned
Speaking earlier, Senior Group Village Headman Chikuse of Chief Makhuwira in Chikwawa district asked government to relocate them to safer places.
He said he and his subjects were currently sheltering at Sekeni Village near Nchalo in the district and were in need of land for them to be allocated permanently to avert being affected by similar disasters in the future.
ESCOM CEO pointing something and Paramount Lundu center
According to the traditional leader, people at the evacuation camp are in dire need of food and accommodation space forcing them to spend nights in over crowded tents.
“The tents are not enough to accommodate 1,722 families here at the evacuation camp,” Senior traditional leader said.
Senior GVH Chikuse observed that lack of tents was negatively affecting couples as their conjugal rights were not respected hence his call for the family tents.
Over 6,000 people who were internally displaced at Chikuse Island in the area of Chief Makhuwira are seeking refugee at an evacuation camp which is expected to close down in due course.
“Instead of providing temporal shelter in times of disasters government must find a lasting solution to the year in and out of flooding disaster by allocating land for settlement saying most of the internally displaced persons can not manage to acquire land due to their economic status,” he stated
The function was graced by traditional dances, poems and drama performed by the flood survivors at the evacuation camp.
Source: Shire Valley Onlne -by cornelius Lupenga